Fabric take-up for knitting machines



F. H. FULMER, JR

- FABRIC TAKE-UP FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed May 21, 1930 izplTNEsss iw INVENTOR:

' BY I r W TORNEYS.

Patented Dec, 22,1931

UNITED STATES PATENT o FIcs FREDERICK FULMEB, JR", OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOE IQ THOMAS W. BUCK HOSIERY (20., F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A. CORPORA= TION OF JPKN'NSYLV snare TAKE-UP r012.

Application filed. may 21,

This invention relates to fabric take-ups for knitting machines, particularly for flat knitting machines, known as footers, such as are used in the production of full fashioned hosiery. y

In manufacturing full fashioned hosiery, the stocking leg blanks knit on leggers are transferred to the footers for completion of the foot portions of the stockings as integral continuations, i. e., the terminal courses of the instep portions of the leg blanks and the inside selvage ed es of the heel tabs are aligned and impalled on the needles of the footers, and the stocking blanks connected to the take-u s of-the machines. Each such take-up ordinarily consists of a roller, a pull strap adapted to be wrapped on the roller as the fabric is being knitted, and a draw bar designed for direct attachment to the'stocking leg blank. The usual form of draw bar is provided with end hooks for engaging the heel tab portions of the leg blanks, and intermediate hooks for similarly engaging the instep portions of the blanks between the heel tabs. As a rule, the insteps of the stocking blanksare knit from delicate yarns of very fine gage as compared to the heel tabs and, due to uneven localized strains induced by the intermediate hooks of the draw bars I heretofore, the fabric was unduly stretched and distorted, and very often torn with resultant production of seconds whichhad to be disposed of at a loss. I The present invention has for its object to overcome the several disadvantages just pointedv out. This desideratum I aim to attain through provision of a draw bar with means' to cl'ampingly engage the intermediate or, instep portions of the leg blanks and thus preclude the possibility of injury to the fabric while maintaining the same evenly tensioned' across the width of the blanks. In the drawings, Fig. I isfa fragmentary sectional view of a stocking footer equipped with my novel draw bar. v 'Fig. II-is a plan view of'the bar. :Fig. III is an edge 'view of the same; and

Fig. IV is a perspective viewcorresponding to Fig. I and showing more clearly the man- 1930. Serial No. 454,259.

ner in which the draw bar of my invention is used.

With more detailed reference to these illustrations, the numerals 10 and 11 designate respectively, the needless and the sinkers of the knittin machine which cooperate Gib tomary configuration, and at its ends is provided with the usual hooks 15 to'engage the heel tabs H of the stocking blanks Bas shown in Fig. IV. From Figs. II and III it will be noted that the draw bar 14 is formed near one end with an upstanding bearing projection 16 which affords pivotal support to a finger-like lengthwise-extending member 17 for clamping the stocking blank against the top of the ban as hereinafter more fully explained. The rounded shank portion 18 of this finger-like. clamp member 17 is sheathed with rubber or other yielding material as at 19 to preclude injury to the fabric, and said shank portion has its free end turned up as at 20 to facilitate placement of the fabric thereunder. Outward beyond the point of pivotal connection with the bearing 16, the clampmember 17 is provided with a finger tab21; and a spring 22 interposed between said tab and the bar 14 tends to maintain "the rubber covered shank 18 of said clamp member firmly pressed against the fabric as shown in Fig. IV t The use of my novel draw bar is as follows: Assuming that a stocking blank B has been transferred to the needles 10 of the machine in the known manner, the finger tab 21 of the clamp member 17 is depressed in opposition to the spring 22, and the shank 18 of said member thereby raised to open position whereupon the draw bar 14 is applied crosswiseof the instep portion of the transferred leg blank B (Fig. IV). 'Afte'r proper positioning of the bar, .the clamp member 17 is firmly cross wiseover the instep portion of the stocking blank on th'ebar. With the draw bar now attached to the fabric, the heel tabs H (Fig. IV) are-pulled over the end hooks 15 whereupon the machine is started 5 to proceed with the knitting of the foot portion of the stocking as an integral prolonga-' tion of the transferred leg blank in a well known way.

7 From the foregoing it is evident that the 10 draw bar of my invention is simple-in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and easily applied to the stocking blanks. The substitution, as herein ex lained, of a clamp member in lieu of the intermediate hooks usually employed on ordinary draw bars, precludes tearing of the fabric, and, moreover, insures firm gripping of the instep portion of the stocking blank and maintenance of uniform tension at all points crosswise of the $0 fabric.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. A draw bar for fabric take-ups of flat knitting machines having a pivotally- 35 attached spring-urged lengthwise-extending member for clamping the fabric to the bar.

2. A draw bar for fabric take-ups of flat knitting machines having a spring-urged finger-like lengthwise-extending member for clamping the fabric to the bar, said member being plvotally attached to the bar at one end only with ca acity for being swung to open position to acilitate application of the bar to the fabric. i A draw bar for fabric take-ups of flat knitting machines having a. spring-urged finger-hke lengthwise-extending member for clampin the fabric to the bar, said member being plvotally attached to the bar at one 40 end only and-being provided with a finger tab beyond its pivotal connection whereby it may be swun to open position to facilitate application 0 the bar to the fabric.

' 4. A draw bar for fabric take-ups of flat knitting machines having a spring-arid finger-like lengthwise-extending mem r sheathed with ylelding covering for clampmg the fabric to the bar, said member being pivotally attached to the bar at one end only with capacity for being swung to open position to facilitate application of the bar to the fabric.

5. A draw bar for fabric take-ups of flat stocking footers, having end hooks for enaging the heel tabs of transferred stocking lanks, and a pivotally-attached, springurged lengthwise extending member interfmediate the end hooks for clamping the instefilportlon of the leg blank to the bar.

testimony whereof, I have hereunto 'si'gned my name at Philadelphia, Pennsylvagnia, this 15th day of Ma 1930.

' FREDERICK FULMER, JR. 

